Adur Wild Flowers 2016

To see a World in a grain of sand,
And Heaven in a wild flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour

William Blake

NB: The Marsh Marigold was from my garden. I looked for the usual Southern Marsh Orchids on the road cutting on the south side of the Mil Hill Gap without sucess only finding evidence of human vegetation clearance and discarded rubbish.

Hundreds of Early Purple Orchids were in flower under the canopy of Lancing Clump where the sun would have shined through if it wasn't a misty day.
Adur Orchids

Most of the Blackthorn blossom had blown away on the top of Mill Hill, where Hawthorn was now flowering. Down on the lower slopes, the yellow of the Horseshoe Vetch, Hippocrepis comosa, was abundantly in flower, but nowhere near is best showing, and the Dog Violets were still commonly scattered over hillside. Most of the yellow rosettes were Dandelions, but there were a few Hawkbits/Hawkweeds and blue Milkworts were now frequently seen amongst the Horseshoe Vetch leaves. Hounds-tongue was seen with its first flowers near the steps down to the lower slopes of Mill Hill from the south.

Hawthorn was now on green leaf and Blackthorn ceased flowering at Cuckoo's Corner, but there were still Primroses, Cowslips, Green Alkanet and Bluebells around the outskirts of Shoreham togther with newly flowering Red Campion, Garlic Mustard, one clump of Cuckoo Flower (near Ladywells on the Coombes Road), and the first two Yellow Flag Iris (stream next to Ladywells) the most eye catching on a breezy day.
Adur Campions

Common Vetch was spotted in flower for the first time this year at the southern end of the Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham. The illustrated Daffodil was a solitary clump of two flowers in the Maple spinney.

More Garlic Mustard had appeared on the verges of the Coombes Road. It appeared that the stands found were flourishing, was there was less of it than I seem to recall from previous years and very little (just one plant seen) between Cuckoo's Corner north to Ladywells Penstock, where it is normally common. Cuckoo Flower (=Lady's Smock) was flowering streamside in the drainage ditch that borders the field and runs due north of Cuckoo's Corner. Blackthorn was still in flower along the Steyning Line Cyclepath at Old Shoreham, with the green leaves and buds of Hawthorn. Nipplewort was in flower in Shoreham.

20 April 2016
Dog Violets were scattered and abundant all over the lower slopes of Mill Hill. On the Coombes Road (south of Cuckoo's Corner only), Garlic Mustard had started to flower. North of Ladywells on the same country road (on the first incline to the Applesham Farm junction), the Elm hedges were beginning in green leaf on the eastern border to the road.

19 April 2016
The first Bulbous Buttercups were seen in flower on the verges of the towpath by the Riverside Industrial Estate (derelict) north of Ropetackle. They were tall flowers over 30 cm high. The last Blackthorn was still flowering at the south-east end of the Tollbridge, Old Shoreham.

An afternoon when the Cowslipsand Primroses were still in flower along the Steyning Line Cyclepath but no Coltsfoot. Suckered English Elm was coming into leaf on the outskirts on verges and patches of wasteland. Leaves were not so forthcoming on mature trees. Pussy Willow catkins were still on the trees although they also littered the ground underneath the branches.

Ramsons (also called Wild Garlic), Allium ursinum, were spotted on the muddy verge of the Coombes Road, south of Cuckoo's Corner. The Sussex Plant Atlas includes the names Ramsons and is not shown as present in the Lower Adur Valley. It is not recorded in Flora of Shoreham-by-Sea (List).

Blackthorn was in full flower at Cuckoo's Corner where Hawthorn was in substantial leaf and the leaves of Blackthorn had appeared. Blackthorn flowers appear before the leaves and the Hawthorn leaves appear before the flowers.

28 March 2016

Blackthorn was seen in flower for the first time this year at the south end of the Waterworks Road, Old Shoreham. It looked like it had been flowering for a few days but nowhere near its peak as the blossom could only be seen close-up.

The first two Green Alkanet flowers were also seen.

26 March 2016

Common Daisies in St. Mary de Haura churchyard were noticed to be particularly large with plenty of their rounded leaves in the flower beds and less leaf on the grass between the gravestones.

Ivy-leaved Toadflax was flowering on the flint boundary walls of the churchyard.

24 February 2016
Lesser Celandines were in flower but a bit battered on a verge at the top of Oxen Avenue, Shoreham. Daffodilswere flowering in widespread places, planted by people to brighten up the gloom.

25 January 2016
Field Speedwell was still in flower near Silver Sands, Shoreham Beach.

20 January 2016
Gorse was noted in flower by the Norfolk Bridge, and it probably has been since the beginning of the year.

In Botolphs churchyard, Greater Periwinkles (from last year), Primroses, one Lesser Celandine and Snowdrops were flowering.

15 January 2016
In Lancing, Mayweed and White Deadnettle were still in flower on the road verge south of the Sussex Pad.

4 January 2016
Daffodils were in flower in several clumps on the verge at the bottom (south) verges of Parkside (near Buckingham Park), north Shoreham. As these were likely to be semi-wild, a better claim to the first wild flowers of 2016 could be the closed remnants of Nipplewort from the cracks in the tarmac in the twitten between Adelaide Square and Corbyn Crescent, Shoreham, although these would have late flowers from 2015.


Red Deadnettle	Ground Ivy	*Allium ursinum*